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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22955833">I Know You're Still Just A Dream</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaDeeDa/pseuds/LaDeeDa'>LaDeeDa</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Bonnet Family [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adopted Sibling Relationship, Arranged Marriage, Awkward Romance, Blood and Violence, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fantasy, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gentle Kissing, Jealousy, Kidnapping, Kissing, Love, Love Triangles, Marriage, Neck Kissing, Pregnancy, Pregnant Sex, Rags to Riches, Romance, Step-Sibling Incest, Step-siblings, Unrequited Love, Vampire Sex, Vampires, Violence, very self indulgent</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 12:14:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,964</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22955833</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaDeeDa/pseuds/LaDeeDa</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>'Your eyes might be green, or the bluest that I've ever seen. Anyway you'll be blessed.' ~ Blessed - Elton John</p><p>5 months have passed since Elijah and Lucia were married and little has changed for the couple: Elijah still spends most of his day with Lucia and all of the night working for his father on clan business, Lucia spends her time without Elijah chilling with Sariyah and Eden or maintaining her needy human body.</p><p>That is, until the last week or so when their little human has been afflicted with an awful flu-like bug: vomiting, migraines and exhaustion trapping her in bed... Luckily for them Dr Farris has delivered enough vampire children to know when one is brewing. </p><p>With her first baby on the way and a pair of green eyes burning into the back of her skull whenever she is left alone, Lucia is simply trying to waddle along as best she can and keep the next heir to The Bonnet Clan safe, healthy, and out of the hands of the woman who has already made 3 attempts on her life.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Original Female Character/Original Male Character</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Bonnet Family [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1584184</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Elijah</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is not only my 20th work on AO3 but also my 100th chapter posted! That's 100 chapters (Over 315K words) in just under 3 years!</p><p>Cheers to the next 3 years and hopefully another 100 chapters posted. Thank you to anyone who has ever read anything I've written on here ever, that includes you reading this right now!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Something was wrong with Elijah’s wife. She had been showing awful flu-like symptoms for almost two weeks and he was at the brink of despair with her stubbornness, from the first day she was sick he advocated for calling Dr Farris but she wouldn’t hear of it.</p><p> </p><p>Now he must hear tales from Sariyah and Eden every day of the different ways in which Lucia’s illness has caused her trouble, usually in the form of violent vomiting. Luckily Elijah is the next heir of the Bonnet Clan or he might have had to pay damages for all the antique vases she has found her head in recently. Even when he attempted to be intimate with her she had been paralysed with nausea more than once, swiftly ending their alone time regardless of what they had been in the middle of. He may not have any medical expertise but he knew something was seriously wrong if she was still so unwell after this amount of time.</p><p> </p><p>In the five months since they were married she had come down with a cold which lasted a couple of days and had a tummy bug that was gone in barely twelve hours. Both had required only rest and water to overcome.</p><p> </p><p>This had been going on more than long enough.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m calling Dr Farris.” He announced to her resting form, she had returned to their suite to lie down after finding herself sickened at the sight of her lunch. Sariyah had accompanied her and now sat on their window seat gnawing on her finger despite her vampirism causing the skin there to be rock hard, apparently humans found it eased their worry.</p><p> </p><p>Lucia sighed but surprisingly didn’t argue, he could only reason it was because she was too drained.</p><p> </p><p>He made the call hurriedly, before she could gather the energy to protest. The family doctor promised he was on his way immediately and Elijah thanked him before sliding his phone back into his pocket.</p><p> </p><p>“Dr Farris will be here soon.” He stated as firmly as he could bear to upon his return to Lucia’s bedside. He found it so difficult to be stern with her, she was his wife and as far as he was concerned that meant she was to get her way.</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you.” She mumbled uncharacteristically submissively.</p><p> </p><p>With a funky tune knocked onto their door Dr Farris made his arrival known.</p><p> </p><p>“Come in.” Elijah called, taking Lucia’s soft hand in his own. He had yet to get used to the squishiness of human skin, you could feel everything beneath it like the foam used in cheap couch cushions.</p><p> </p><p>“Well then, what trouble have you gotten yourself into this time, Mrs Bonnet?” Dr Farris asked as he dropped his hefty bag of tools at the foot of the bed, “Oh, my apologies, Sariyah, I did not realise you were here. We will need a way to differentiate between the two of you, which of you would like to be Mrs Bonnet number one and which will be number two?”</p><p> </p><p>“Dr Farris.” Elijah grunted impatiently.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, son, I’m coming.” Dr Farris said with a dismissive wave of his hand. He turned to Lucia, buried in the blankets and raised his brows, “Tell me, young lady, what can this handsome doctor do for you today?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ve had the flu for over a fortnight,” She answered quietly, “I can’t seem to shift it for anything.”</p><p> </p><p>“Give me a list of symptoms and we’ll confirm firstly if this is in fact the flu.” He ordered, taking a relaxed seat on the side of the bed and folding one leg over the other.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ve been nauseas, vomiting almost every single day, headaches that have made my vision blurry and make me feel car sick even though I’m sitting down in the library most of the time, food tastes strange as well and that makes me feel even more sick, I’ve had trouble sleeping the whole night through and yet I feel exhausted all the time…”</p><p> </p><p>“Any coughing, sneezing or sore throat?”</p><p> </p><p>“No.”</p><p> </p><p>“Any mucus or snot?”</p><p> </p><p>“No.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hmm.” Dr Farris had the slightest hint of a smile bursting through at the corners of his mouth, “I would say then that we should be focusing on that belly of yours then.”</p><p> </p><p>“You don’t think she has the flu?” Sariyah asked with wide eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“No.” He replied simply before pulling his phone out and dialling a number from his ‘favourites’ list and putting it to his ear. “Julie, please bring the portable ultrasound machine to the young Bonnet’s suite. Thank you.” He hung up and stuffed his phone back into his trousers.</p><p> </p><p>“You think she’s-”</p><p> </p><p>“Got a tumour?” Elijah blurted fearfully.</p><p> </p><p>“I was going to say pregnant, Elijah.” Sariyah clarified with an amused smile.</p><p> </p><p>Elijah froze for a moment before looking to Lucia, her face held the same level as shock that he felt. Their eyes locked and she exhaled slowly, a small smile appearing on her lips. A burst of excitement erupted in his chest, filling him with a buzzing sensation that reached his fingertips and toes, filling him with energy.</p><p> </p><p>“If you asked me to bet money on it, I would go with pregnancy but an ultrasound will help me rule out anything else in that area.” Dr Farris explained, pulling back the blankets covering Lucia and lifting her oversized shirt to reveal her toned tummy, “All kinds of organs are squashed together around here,” he drew a circle on her stomach with his finger gently, “spleen, kidneys, liver… and those are just a few of the big names, there are less famous fleshy chunks that can cause you problems too. Human bodies are a nightmare, really.”</p><p> </p><p>“In my defence, I didn’t choose to be born human - I would have much preferred the life of a cat.”</p><p> </p><p>Julie let herself into the room silently carrying a small, plastic, white box that resembled a closed laptop and handed it to Dr Farris carefully followed by a clear squeezy bottle that resembled those in the kitchen that Lucia used to put sauce on her food. Sariyah watched silently from the opposite side of the bed to Elijah, her hands clasped together in front of her anxiously.</p><p> </p><p>“How long has it been since the two of you were married now?” Dr Farris asked distractedly as he squirted a fat blob of transparent blue gel onto Lucia’s skin, she shivered a little in response and Elijah squeezed her hand, hoping to comfort her silently.</p><p> </p><p>“Just gone five months.” Elijah answered quietly.</p><p> </p><p>Dr Farris ‘hmm’d to himself and began to slide the probe through the goo with surprisingly jerky motions, his eyes glued to the small screen beside Lucia’s hip on the adjacent side to where he sat. It only took him a few seconds to find what he was looking for.</p><p> </p><p>“Congratulations,” He announced, never taking his eyes off the screen, “it looks like we will have a baby Bonnet joining the family by the end of the year.”</p><p> </p><p>The three Bonnets in the room all audibly gasped with relief and excitement, their eyes darting between each other’s in near disbelief at what they had all heard.</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you, doctor!” Lucia said sincerely, her dark eyes brimming with tears.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re very welcome, my dear.” He gave her a fatherly smile before turning to Elijah, “Would you like to see your child, Mr and Mrs Bonnet?”</p><p> </p><p>“Please.” Elijah breathed desperately. If he were human he believed his hands would have been trembling, both with nerves and excitement.</p><p> </p><p>“Now, I believe you are perhaps a day or so over the six-week mark, so baby Bonnet is little more than a blob at the moment.” He explained as he positioned the probe and then pointed to the grainy black and white image on the screen.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s okay,” Elijah whispered as he found the small lump Dr Farris was referring to with his eyes, “they’re perfect.”</p><p> </p><p>Sariyah continued to be frozen in place on the other side of the bed, her eyes round and wide and her lips slightly parted in shock. Elijah waved her round to stand beside him and she approached silently at human-speed.</p><p> </p><p>“Look.” He said, pointing to the tadpole-like shape.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s kind-of… fluttering.” She murmured, leaning in to get a closer look.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, well at this point in the pregnancy the baby is essentially just a heart with some lumps and a tail.”</p><p> </p><p>Lucia spoke for the first time since laying her eyes on the screen, “It has a heartbeat?” she asked softly.</p><p> </p><p>“It does.”</p><p> </p><p>“Is that normal for a vampire baby?” Sariyah blurted.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, my dear, vampire children are very similar to human children until they reach adulthood, then their bodies freeze as one’s would when bitten by a vampire. They have to have human-like bodies in order to develop into adults.”</p><p> </p><p>Elijah nodded, “I remember the panic I felt when I realised my heart had stopped beating.” he chuckled at his own naivety.</p><p> </p><p>“How old were you?” Sariyah asked with a look of intrigued horror.</p><p> </p><p>“Around twenty… four or five?” He guessed.</p><p> </p><p>“Your brain does not fully mature until you reach your mid-twenties,” Dr Farris explained, “and women’s breasts can continue to develop into their early twenties.”</p><p> </p><p>“This is so strange.” Said Sariyah.</p><p> </p><p>“May I pack up my equipment and wipe you up?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, thank you, Dr Farris.”</p><p> </p><p>“You will need to make an appointment with Nurse Julie, she keeps my schedule, so that we can have an in depth look at your symptoms. For now though, I will have anti-nausea tablets sent here for you twice a day and that should aid for the more severe problems you’ve been having.”</p><p> </p><p>Nurse Julie booked Lucia an appointment that week to have a full check-up with Dr Farris including a look at her diet, exercise and any vitamins she may need to begin taking to support her body with the pregnancy. They both thanked her and she followed Dr Farris out, they bid the pair goodbye and Dr Farris congratulated them again as he pulled the door to.</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t think this would happen so soon.” Lucia whispered, although Elijah couldn’t tell who she was speaking to, possibly herself.</p><p> </p><p>Sariyah took her hands in her own and kissed them, “Congratulations.” she turned her head to give Elijah a wide grin before adding, “To both of you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you, Sariyah. I hope you don’t mind but could Lucia and I-”</p><p> </p><p>Sariyah cut him off with an easy bat of her hand, “Oh, of course, say no more!” she popped a quick kiss to Lucia’s cheek and squeezed Elijah’s arm as she left, closing the door behind her.</p><p> </p><p>“Lucia, are you okay?”</p><p> </p><p>Lucia blinked at the bedding laid back over her, then slowly dragged her face up to look upon him. Her mouth was open, her eyes wide and her cheeks flushed.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m…” A small smile broke onto her face and Elijah’s chest instantly released its tension, “I’m sorry, love, I’m just in shock.” a soft sob interrupted her and she snatched hold of her mouth with both hands, a tear fell from one eye and made haste towards her fingers.</p><p> </p><p>Elijah approached cautiously and climbed onto the bed beside her, balancing on his knees beside her hip and reaching out to brush a few thin, stray curls from her cheeks.</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t think I would be this emotional.” She mumbled into her palms, “I’m so overwhelmed.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s okay, sweetheart, it’s completely understandable.” He reassured her quietly.</p><p> </p><p>She pulled her hands from her face and grabbed his arms with them, “I’m so happy.” she sobbed and dove head-first into his thick wool jumper. His arms were quick to encircle her, moving of their own volition, and clutching her close. His wife and his baby both in his embrace at the same time.</p><p> </p><p>“Me too.” He whispered into her hair. “I can’t wait to meet them.”</p><p> </p><p>Finding out he was to be a father inevitably dredged up the memory of Alyssa and her deranged ramblings about giving him children. It had been an utter relief when she hadn’t returned after he had fought with her in that hallway after she attacked Lucia. He had never physically fought with either of his sisters before and hated the look on her face when she staggered up from where he threw her through the marble pillar: heartbreak and betrayal written all over her features. It was for the best though, there was no coming back from what she had done and they were all better off with her staying far away from the clan lands. His parents had been upset at first but they also craved perfection, a crazed daughter couldn’t be a perfect one.</p><p> </p><p>Now they would have the grand-baby they were so desperate for and Elijah could enjoy his marriage to the woman he had protected that day with every ounce of strength he had.</p><p> </p><p>The same incredible woman now carrying his child. He kissed the top of her head and pulled her close. He would protect both of them from now on.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Lucia</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>12 Weeks</p><p> </p><p>Miraculously, the great secret of Lucia’s mystery flu had managed to remain within the tight-knit circle of Dr Farris, the nurses, Elijah, his sister Eden, his cousin Sariyah and her husband Reginald for an entire six weeks. As Dr Farris had advised, they awaited the three-month mark to make the official announcement with nerves set on edge.</p><p> </p><p>Once the day had arrived, they called every member of the household into the grand ballroom where Lucia and Elijah had danced their wedding night away. Elijah’s parents stood tall and proud at the front of the huddle, the patriarch of the clan and his wife warily waiting for whatever news was to come.</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you all for gathering at such short notice and apologies for drawing you from your busy schedules,” Elijah began with his mild crowd-pleasing smile that Lucia had come to associate with his ‘heir to the throne’ public speaking voice. She preferred the way he smiled and spoke when they were alone, but understood that the people of the clan expected a certain type of leader. They liked their ‘royal family’ to be strong, dependable, and stoic where possible. Elijah was naturally strong, that came with the vampirism. He was unstoppably dependable, Lucia knew down to the very depths of her soul that she could lay her life in his hands and trust him to handle it with the utmost care and gentleness. Oh, and he was rather good at playing at stoic when in reality he was actually just shy. “My wonderful wife Lucia and I have the greatest of news to share with you all, our friends and family.”</p><p> </p><p>A soft ripple of gasps ran through the back of the crowd as certain clan members were already jumping to conclusions. His parents’ frozen expressions of polite interest held so well Lucia had a brief moment of suspicion that they had been informed in advance.</p><p> </p><p>Elijah continued, “we are expecting our first child in six months time.” He was forced to pause again as the room reacted, whoops and yells and excited clapping echoed off the polished wood floor and enormous windows. Mr and Mrs Bonnet senior cracked the smallest of matching smiles. “We hope you will support us as we embark on the next step of our lives and look forward to introducing the next Bonnet heir once they arrive.”</p><p> </p><p>Another wave of raucous cheering hit them as they stepped down from the slightly raised stage at the front of the room, Lucia clinging to Elijah’s crisp white shirt sleeve for support. Although it was more emotional support she was relying on him for than physical. She did not enjoy interacting with Elijah’s mother, and his father was only marginally better in that he did not say anything at all during most of the time they spent in his proximity. They approached the senior couple slowly, as though measuring every step in their direction. Elijah had a strange attitude towards his parents. Lucia could tell he felt familial affection for them, but he also didn’t seem to particularly enjoy their company when it wasn’t necessary. Perhaps knowing you would be living with your parents until you’re hundreds of years old made you less interested in cultivating your relationship with them - after all, they’re immortal and so are you. Lucia couldn’t judge, she hadn’t seen her biological family in more than half a year and was not perturbed in the slightest by that fact.</p><p> </p><p>“Congratulations, son,” Mr Bonnet said quietly. His smile was small but genuine, the slightest twinkle of pride in his green eyes.</p><p> </p><p>Elijah nodded politely, seemingly very aware of the clan around them, watching their every movement and straining to hear every word spoken between their elusive head family.“Thank you, we are very excited,” he replied in the same tone he had used on the stage.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Mrs Bonnet spoke silkily, head slightly tilted. “It is very good news. I was beginning to worry,” she said with curious concern. A not-so-subtle dig at Lucia that she ignored as best she could.</p><p> </p><p>“Veronica,” Mr Bonnet murmured in warning.</p><p> </p><p>Elijah’s mother had not held back her criticism of Lucia and just about everything she did since the moment she stepped foot (or rather, was dragged) into the Bonnet mansion. However, pregnancy and heirs were her favourite topics of complaint. The only instances in which Mrs Bonnet spoke directly to Lucia was to enquire after her reproductive system or criticize her eating, exercise and leisurely habits in relation to how they would affect her child-bearing statistics. She now drank her coffee and wine in the privacy of hers and Elijah’s bedroom for fear of earning a lecture. If she and Elijah had been intentionally seeking to conceive as quickly as possible, perhaps the advice would have been appreciated. But they had agreed to let things happen naturally, and they were not looking for her ‘professional’ opinion on the state of Lucia’s uterus.</p><p> </p><p>“We are very pleased,” Lucia said smoothly, giving Elijah her best ‘moony-eyed’ look of adoration. Elijah grinned back and pulled her tighter against his side. Her best weapon against her mother-in-law was always to show affection to Elijah, because he would always reciprocate, and Mrs Bonnet hated the notion that her son had actually fallen in genuine love with his parent’s purchase.</p><p> </p><p>Mr Bonnet nodded and said, “we will speak more later.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, I believe we need to make the rounds of the room,” Elijah agreed.</p><p> </p><p>His parents swept out of the room and left the couple to accept congratulations from groups of excited vampires. Lucia mostly smiled softly and allowed Elijah to do the speaking since he was the familiar face to them. Despite having been married for five months, Lucia still had not spent much time with the ‘normal’ clan members. That is, those that weren’t related or employed by the main family.</p><p> </p><p>Once they eventually took their leave of the bubbling atmosphere of the ballroom, they found Sariyah and Reginald hovering suspiciously in the hall leading away and into the centre of the mansion.</p><p> </p><p>“What are you up to?” Elijah asked cheerfully.</p><p> </p><p>Sariyah beamed as she announced, “we wanted to be first to give Lucia a pregnancy present!”</p><p> </p><p>“A present?” Lucia repeated in surprise.</p><p> </p><p>“Ta-dah!” The small woman shifted to show something hidden behind her husband’s wider frame. She pulled out an enormous parcel wrapped in purple and silver paper. It was bigger than she was, but very light when it was passed into Lucia’s outstretched arms. Lucia tore the paper swiftly and excitedly, revealing a large, curly pillow.</p><p> </p><p>She held it up as high as she could and whispered, “what on Earth-”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s a special pillow to help you rest comfortably as your body grows!” Sariyah explained.</p><p> </p><p>Turning the oversized pillow over in her hands, Lucia was already plotting out all the ways she could entwine her body into it. The feel of the soft foam was already beckoning her to an impromptu nap.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s amazing! Thank you so much!” she breathed, hoping her gratitude was visible on her face around the enormous present.</p><p> </p><p>Sariyah grinned proudly. “The woman in the shop advised it would be the best gift you could get this early in the pregnancy,” she continued with a kind wink.</p><p> </p><p>Reginald added, “we spent… a very long time… in a room where everything was made of cloth and felt.” He punctuated his statement with a deep, tired breath.</p><p> </p><p>“You’d think he had been locked in a straight jacket the entire time! That’s what baby stores are supposed to look like, my love.”</p><p> </p><p>“It is quite jarring,” Reginald said, seemingly reliving the horror as he spoke.</p><p> </p><p>Sariyah rolled her eyes and squeezed his arm good-naturedly. “I’m sure you’ll channel your distaste into a wonderful creation, dear,” she offered.</p><p> </p><p>“Hmm, perhaps…”</p><p> </p><p>Before Reginald could get too lost in his thoughts of future artwork, Lucia jumped in to thank them again. “I love it, thank you both for your noble sacrifice to get it for me.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m glad you like it. I hope the baby doesn’t disturb your sleep to much, I know how important that is to you.”</p><p> </p><p>Lucia laughed, she always found Sariyah’s odd comments very entertaining. “Sleep is important to all humans!” she corrected.</p><p> </p><p>“And with that, we will leave you to get some,” Sariyah said with another wink. She slid the hand on Reginald’s arm down to his hand and grasped it loosely.</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you,” Lucia called after them as they disappeared in a blur. Her human eyes couldn’t even perceive what direction they had left in. She wondered momentarily if she would struggle to keep up with baby Bonnet, just how strong and fast were vampires before they reach maturity? She made a mental note to quiz her husband that evening.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Lucia</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>16 Weeks</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The bump had begun. Noticeable only to Elijah thus far as the weather had only recently begun to warm enough for Lucia to strip to single-layer clothing choices. Under a hoodie or baggy shirt, it could not be seen at all. Elijah was completely infatuated with it. He did not need to sleep but he would choose not to anyway, instead he would lie next to her in bed, stroking her stomach and sometimes whispering to it, too quietly for Lucia to hear. He could sleep if he wanted to, or at least the vampire dozing equivalent, but had chosen not to since that first ultrasound. Every moment she slept, he watched over her and the slowly growing blob.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Elijah had previously swapped his working hours to the night-time in order to spend the days with Lucia, but since the pregnancy announcement, he seemed more protective than usual and had swapped his hours back to be with her while she slept. Lucia didn’t mind, she was spending more time with his sister, Eden, and his cousin, Sariyah. They were her closest friends and were just as excited as she was for baby Bonnet. As long as she could still spend time with her husband, make love to him, and have rambling conversations about nothing as they stared out into the night, she was content. The girls kept her entertained in the day on his behalf.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>That morning, he was dressing in his suit for a long day in the office with his father when Eden came a-knocking at their suite. Lucia was still lounging in her pajamas.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“The paint for the nursery arrived!” Her sister-in-law announced. “Are you ready to make a mess?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Lucia laughed and pulled herself up. “I suppose I should make sure not to wear anything I like too much today, then.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Elijah pressed a soft kiss to her forehead and wished them luck with the first stage of baby Bonnet’s nursery decoration before he was off to work. Lucia dressed quickly and followed Eden to meet Sariyah and get to work.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Despite his artistic capabilities and passion, Sariyah’s husband, Reginald, had opted out of helping the ladies decorate the soon-to-be nursery due to the trauma experienced in a baby boutique when choosing a gift for Lucia’s pregnancy announcement. They allowed him to escape and spent the day painting the walls and browsing online baby stores on their phones, spending exorbitant amounts of money on all kinds of devices that Lucia was certain her family never had when she was an infant. Although they had no children of their own, her sister-in-law and cousin-in-law were both adamant that she needed everything offered by these specialist shops.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Lucia did not complain though, she was grateful for all the help she could get. She hoped the pair would be as generous with their help once the baby arrived.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Taking a break from his office in the early afternoon, Elijah popped his head in briefly to compliment them on their handiwork.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I like the colour, very soothing,” he complimented quietly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It’s called ‘bumblebee’,” said Eden.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Will yellow be the theme in here?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Lucia hummed before answering. “I like yellow, but I think any pastel colours would be nice. Maybe some pink blankets and blue cushions?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Sounds wonderful.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You would say that regardless of what I chose!” Lucia laughed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Elijah’s expression turned scandalised and his hand shot to this chest like a woman of the 18<sup>th</sup> century hearing a curse word. “Not true!” he said defensively, although his face fell back into a grin easily. “I really like it!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You would say you liked it even if I chose bark brown for all the furnishing.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He was quick to rebut, “that’s a good choice for covering stains! If you decide you want brown then I support you completely. Babies are the ultimate stain creators.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Lucia shook her head, knowing she could never win against her husband - he loved her too much and could sweet talk too well.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He wrinkled his nose and gave a loud sniff at the strong paint smell but Eden was quick to show the windows were open and his wife was not being poisoned.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Don’t you start, Elijah,” Sariyah said with a good-natured huff.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I said nothing. And I shall say no more, father is waiting for me to return.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Lucia blew him a kiss and he dipped his head with a soppy smile before leaving.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Just after her solo dinner, Lucia had an appointment with Dr Farris, discussing the baby’s development (supposedly it could hear some sounds now, so perhaps Elijah’s whispers were being noted by baby Bonnet) and monitoring her vitals such as weight and blood pressure. After being given the all clear (and messaging Elijah that she had been advised all was fine) she decided to take a quick walk in the gardens while there was still some sun to be had.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The flowers swayed and droplets on wide leaves winked at her from where the gardeners had sprayed everything with generous buckets full of water and growing aids. The gardens were Lucia’s favourite part of the Bonnet mansion, they gave her the illusion of seclusion, that for a bit she could escape the squeezing reality that she was married to the heir to an enormous vampire clan. She had never thought herself someone who was well-versed in politics, only when it came to obvious things such as everyone deserving food and water and medical care. She knew nothing of how to hold favour with the clan, she had been schooled in a very long list of the basic rules in maintaining the head family’s reputation but that only covered things like keeping your mouth shut as much as possible and smiling politely at all times. Was this something her child would need to be skilled in? She thought of Elijah and Eden, brother and sister but so different. Elijah was the heir and he held that burden like a canopy over Eden, a shield to allow her to live whatever life she wants (within the house, not free to roam or embarrass the family in public). Eden could live comfortably with the knowledge that her reliable brother was there to keep the clan thriving.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Part of Lucia hoped she would bear a daughter so that she could live Eden’s life, sheltered as it was, she had some semblance of freedom. But if she did not have a son, there was no one to carry on the Bonnet line - female vampires could not bear children. Adopting children was common for vampires, but as the head family it was important to keep the bloodline flowing onwards.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She sighed softly to herself and left the luxurious blossoms of the gardens to cut through the old woods that would lead her to the back of the Bonnet mansion. She liked the earthy smell among the bare trunks and withered branches. The old woods were not maintained by the gardeners, they acted as a barricade between the head family’s house and the rest of the clan lands. She reached the house out of breath, despite not moving very quickly and wanted to laugh at herself, but didn’t have the energy to do so. If she was struggling now, she didn’t want to think what it would be like when the bump was full-size.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A glint of green caught Lucia’s eye but the moment she snapped her head around it was gone, nothing but red brick walls and dead trees, not a hint of green. Like a magnetic force her hands were drawn to her plump belly protectively. The rest of her body was frozen, listening for movement. After a few tense seconds of silence she exhaled shakily and plodded back into the house slowly, her eyes still darting around the grounds for a familiar shade of green. One that occasionally flitted through her nightmares.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
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